


Entanglements

by Ilya_Boltagon



Category: Captain Marvel (2019)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eternals (Marvel), F/M, Humans, Kree, Skrulls - Freeform, Slow Romance, painful memories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2020-08-31 23:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20248474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilya_Boltagon/pseuds/Ilya_Boltagon
Summary: Several months after the events on Earth, Carol, still attempting to find the Skrulls a home, encounters an old acquaintance of theirs. Sparks fly between her and the mysterious stranger even amid the struggles of dealing with inner demons, and finding safety for the Skrulls.





	1. Chapter 1

Carol smiled indulgently as the Skrull children swarmed around the bags of 'supplies' she'd just brought for them- toys, books and a few bags of sweets to be shared between them all. When everyone had a handful of goodies, most of them scattered to show off their 'prizes' to their parents, and then to play. Their delighted trilling and chittering made her heart ache. They were so excited by a few handfuls of second-hand gifts, just because it broke the monotony of their days, living on a spaceship, never setting foot on a planet because she had yet to find them somewhere safe to settle down. Talos and Soren entered the room, speaking softly to their chirping daughter and her friends, watching them scamper off, before coming to greet Carol: Soren doing so with a warm hug, Talos clapping her on the shoulder, smiling.

“You've been gone a while this time...” He let the sentence trail off, brow furrowed.

“You were worried.” She resisted the urge to sigh. She could take care of herself, he knew that, but still he fretted if she didn't check in when she said she would. “I just got myself into a bit of a sticky situation is all. I was checking out some backwater world, Sphiros, to see if it would work for you guys. No luck. There was a pretty severe drought here, about three years ago apparently, and most of the people chose to leave and settle elsewhere. The climate's cooled in the last year or so, but no-one returned. The place is pretty much a ruin, even judging by other desert worlds. I didn't realize it was still technically under Kree control until I ran into some of them.”

Talos' brow arched. “A Kree world, and you got away unscathed?"

Carol shrugged. "There was no-one there I knew, nobody from Hala. No reason for them to recognize me."

"Well, anyway, a Kree world will never do. We'll need to keep looking." Talos paused. "We have had... a lucky break, in a way. An old... ally with great knowledge of lesser-known worlds stopped by, and-"

“My ears are burning, are you talking about me again, Talos?” An unfamiliar voice called, smooth and amused. "I know I'm beautiful and charming, but I don't need _that_ much flattery." 

All three of them whirled round. A tall, well-dressed man with vibrant red hair now leaned on the wall, a grin on his face, his posture casual, as if he were a welcome part of this conversation. Carol couldn't help but notice the man _was_ stunning, a near-perfect mix of handsome and beautiful, but crushed the feeling, focusing on the fact that he'd obviously been eavesdropping- how rude. The Skrulls didn't seem bothered, however: Soren was holding back a smile, it looked like, and Talos just looked exasperated, rolling his eyes.

“Just come and join in, won't you. It's not as if this were a private conversation!”

“Why, thank you, Talos. I think I will.” The stranger bowed exaggeratedly, winking at Soren and Carol, before sauntering, almost _gliding_ over to them, taking Soren's hand in his and kissing it, grinning like the cat that ate the canary, ignoring Talos' disgruntled 'Hmph'. The man's intense green eyes flitted to Carol, and his grin broadened. “Well, well, well... So is this the female who has been causing all the trouble for the Kree lately?"

Carol blinked a few times, mystified. He'd heard of her? “Do I know you?”

“Talos and Soren haven't told you about me?” He clasped a hand to his chest dramatically, as if in pain from her words. “I'm wounded. Here I thought I was your closest friend, Talos."

Talos muttered something that could've been 'Greatest nuisance' but the words were barely audible. The red-haired man grinned as if he'd heard nothing, bowing exaggeratedly before Carol. "Since Talos has forgotten his manners, I will introduce myself. My name is Eros."

Carol rolled her eyes at his posturing, pulling the most unimpressed look she could onto her face, not wanting this swaggering guy's ego to get any bigger. "Named after the Greek God of Love. Really? Full of yourself much?"

His eyes gleamed. "I _am_ the figure referred to in most of those stories, actually. You're familiar with Terran legends? Unusual in a Kree... mind you, befriending Skrulls isn't exactly the norm for your kind, either."

Talos and Soren both winced, the latter looking at Carol pleadingly, silently asking her not to lose her temper.

Carol clenched her fists. "Earth is my home." Though just how she'd known what the name Eros meant to Terrans, she couldn't recall. Another memory lost in the fog of her past. "My name's Carol. And I'm _not_ Kree."

"But you wear Kree garb..." Eros' eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the three people in the room. The easy grin didn't leave his face, Carol noticed, but his eyes, noting every detail, assessing the situation, belied his cheerful exterior. She had a feeling he thought a lot more than he said aloud, never showing any cards he held. He held his hands up, as if in apology, catching Talos' eye. “OK, clearly I've missed several chapters of this story... anybody want to catch me up on what's happened lately?”

Deciding to leave Talos and Soren to tell him whatever they wanted to, Carol stormed out of the room. She didn't want to hear their version of her story, or see the pity on their faces, or on Eros'. That was the last thing she wanted, from anyone.


	2. Chapter 2

Carol floated in space, just outside the ship, only barely using her powers to keep herself from drifting too far away. She was just on sentry duty, making sure nothing came too close to the Skrulls' only sanctuary. Of course, the ship's sensors could do that, but at times, she enjoyed the freedom that flying gave her. Not to mention, Eros' arrival had made her a bit uncomfortable. He had clearly known Talos and Soren for far longer than she had, which made her feel a little pushed out, so to speak. Not to mention she'd done her best to avoid Eros since he had been told her story, not wanting to deal with whatever questions he now had for her. Handsome men, in her experience, always wanted something, and therefore couldn't be trusted, (she needed to stop seeing Yon in her mind when she had thoughts like that!) and Eros was certainly handsome. (And irrepressibly cheerful, and full of himself, and forever flirting, and a huge pain in the neck who she didn't like at all. Really.) Not to mention, as Eros, Talos and Soren frequently reminisced on events that had happened long before she'd showed up, she'd felt out of place, like she was interrupting a family visit or something. When it happened again, she'd had enough- Eros seemed to like nothing more than _talking_ and laughing to fill silence, she noticed. It was so annoying! She'd mumbled excuses and come straight out here, giving them privacy. 

Had she and Maria, and Monica, had closeness like that once, before all her memories had been erased? Would she ever feel that carefree, that willing to trust anyone again? After Yon- no. No, she would not think about him. Ever again. He'd lied to and betrayed her, had never been her friend. He didn't deserve another second of her time or energy.

A tap on her shoulder jarred her out of her dark spiraling thoughts, and she turned around, confused- who would tap her on the shoulder, floating in the vacuum of space? Who even could do that?

Eros hovered in space next to her, a faint glow encompassing his form, that cocky, cheerful grin still on his face. Unkindly, Carol wondered if his face was actually stuck like that, as he had been smiling since they met, pretty much. It took a few seconds for her to register that he didn't have a mask to allow him to breathe, or a protective space-suit, and yet he didn't seem to be in any distress, and he flew beside her, with ease. She blinked, the only way to communicate anything out here, where speaking was not possible.

His dazzling, obnoxious grin only widened, and he floated some distance away from her, towards a relatively nearby moon, keeping his gaze on Carol as he beckoned her to follow.

Go off to some unknown moon with a man she'd only just met? That sounded like the worst idea she'd had in a while, but those glittering emerald eyes sparkled with a challenge, and that had her grinning back, somehow _wanting_ to do this, her melancholy thoughts melting away like a glacier on a sun. Her problems would still be there when she came back, after all, and maybe getting her mind off of it would help.

Eros' brow arched, clearly waiting for some kind of response. Carol felt her own lips curving in a small smile. She'd never encountered anyone with abilities that were anything like hers, and hadn't really been challenged in anything since her full abilities were awoken. A faint memory tugged at her; she'd always enjoyed racing with Maria, back on Earth, always pushing to be the best... and if she was honest, she was burning with curiosity to find out who or what Eros really was, why his abilities sort of matched hers. Maybe he'd talk if they were alone. She caught his gaze, deliberately. “Race?” She mouthed carefully, watching him to make sure he got it.

His lip curled, and he nodded. He held up a hand, all five fingers extended, curling them back into his hand one by one. Counting down to 'go', Carol realized. She let him get down to three before launching herself towards the moon without warning, putting a burst of speed behind her. A blur of light just behind her, barely in her peripheral vision, told her that Eros was hot on her heels, but, so far, she was winning. She couldn't help but laugh as she shot towards the uninhabited moon, relishing the freedom that flying gave her, her hair streaming behind her, the stars becoming little more than streaks of light.

When the pits and crevices of the moon became visible, Carol put on another burst of speed- only to feel a shot of _something_ that was energy-based graze against her side, knocking her off course and slowing her down. She'd just managed to correct her trajectory when Eros, his hands glowing, shot past her, and the arrogant male actually _waved_ as he continued towards their finish line. Well, she wasn't having that! She flung herself after him, drawing on her own store of energy, sending a beam of power at him, trying to disrupt his flight as he had hers. He dodged with no obvious effort, and this time she could swear he winked at her.

The moon was less than a minute away at their current rate of travel. Carol put on another burst of speed. Whoever she was, Kree or Terran or a mix, Carol or Vers, she did _not_ lose races. Ever.

Stretching, she just managed to get a grip on Eros' foot, using a fraction of her strength to drag him backwards, then taking advantage of the force of that to bullet herself past him, using all her speed to reach the moon first, flying in a zig-zag pattern so Eros couldn't blast her again. Her feet brushed the barren, rocky surface seconds before he caught up with her, and she punched the air in victory, beaming triumphantly- right before Eros tackled her to the ground. He was surprisingly strong for a man of his build, that he was even _able_ to do that, considering her enhanced strength. Questions bubbled again in Carol's mind about his species, his abilities, but they'd have to wait. He had her pinned, and that wasn't happening. Shifting her weight without warning, she laughed as Eros toppled sideways, ending up face-first on the dusty surface of the moon. A sweep kick from him knocked Carol's feet from under her, then it became a free-for-all wrestling match, amid gales of laughter, neither able to actually keep the upper hand for long.

They were still grappling when Talos' ship caught up with them. Seeing the ship entering the atmosphere, they both gave up the mock-fighting, and, laying on the ground side by side, disheveled and absolutely filthy, as if they'd been bathing in the dust and grit of the moon, they exchanged looks- and just burst out laughing.

Talos disembarked from the ship first, took one look at the state of them, and just shook his head. “Do I _want_ to know?”

Eros winked at him. “Let's just say you missed quite the show.”

Carol rabbit-punched him in the side as she got to her feet. “We were just sparring.” Why was her face going red?

Talos didn't look as if he entirely believed her, but his gaze was on Eros. “You can go and shower if you want, Carol. I need a word with Eros.”

“Or I could go and shower too,” Eros offered, almost leering at Carol. “To conserve water, and all...”

She only gave him an obscene gesture in response as she walked away, boarding the ship. The nerve of him! (Even if he _was_ ridiculously handsome, and the idea of showering with him did send a thrill of heat through her, she would never act on it with someone so damned full of himself, thank you very much.) No, while he was 'visiting' with them, for however long he stayed, she'd make it her business to take Eros down a peg or two. The thought made her grin as she headed to the shower to clean up, already plotting ways to humble him.


	3. Chapter 3

Talos studied Eros carefully as he made an exaggerated show of brushing himself down, shaking sand from his hands and smoothing his hair. As if sensing his scrutiny, Eros' brow arched. “Studying me again, Skrull? I thought you swore you'd never take my form after the last time. Unless of course you're eyeing me up for some other reason. I'm sure Soren wouldn't mind sharing...” He winked suggestively, and Talos rolled his eyes.

“I see you're still as self-obsessed as ever. Hate to break it to you, but you're not half as alluring as you think.”

“I'm not?” Eros' eyes widened in mock amazement. “Perhaps we should ask the lovely Carol if she agrees with that statement.”

Talos held back a snarl- just- but couldn't keep from baring his teeth as a surge of protectiveness for the young woman surged through him. He wanted to roar at Eros to stay away from her, that she wasn't going to be another one of his conquests, but trying to dictate to him never worked- he did what he wanted. “Don't you think she's been through enough, having her whole life stolen and her memory wiped, without you using her and casting her aside?”

“And what makes you think that is what I would do?” Eros' eyes glinted in challenge, though his posture was relaxed, casual.

“Hm, let me see... would you like a list? Of names of women you've picked up, romanced, and then discarded? I'm fairly certain the number of them would fill a library by now!”

Eros' eyes narrowed. “Be careful what you say, Talos. None of my companions were ever coerced into anything.”

“If you say so. As long as Carol doesn't become one of them.”

Eros folded his arms, a smirk pulling at one corner of his mouth. “I wonder, now, if you would be having this conversation with me if Carol herself was within earshot. Does she appreciate you making decisions for her?”

A knot of unease formed in Talos' gut. He didn't want to admit it, but the arrogant male had a point. Carol would be livid if she knew he was discussing her behind her back like this, but... “I only want to protect her. She's been hurt enough.”

Eros' expression softened slightly. “I know. But a distraction, to get her mind off of it, might help, at least for a while.”

Talos shook his head. “Ignoring problems won't make them disappear, though I am aware that's your entire philosophy on life, to ignore things you want to avoid, like they don't exist.”

What could have been an expression of pain flashed across Eros' face, but it was gone within a split second, replaced by his default cocky grin. He placed a hand over his own heart. “I swear by all the gods, I will do nothing that Carol herself doesn't want me to do.” Winking at Talos, he strode away, heading for the ship.

Talos ground his teeth, half inclined to go after him and state in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't be pursuing Carol _anyway_. Except, he realized, that would make him no better than Yon-Rogg, trying to control Carol's every move, and dictate who she could and couldn't see. As much as Talos dreaded her becoming one of Eros' lovers, to be cast aside eventually, the reality was, it was up to her. He just hoped she had enough sense to not be lured in by Eros' looks and charm. Her bond with her former Kree commander had run deep, he knew that much, and having that illusion shattered had hurt her- more than she would ever admit, he was certain. If she were to let another man get close to her, only to have her trust betrayed again... Talos' fists clenched. He couldn't let that happen. He felt a responsibility towards her, just as he would for any ally that he viewed as a close friend. A plan slowly unfolded in his mind. Maybe he couldn't keep Eros from pursuing Carol, but he could certainly do his best to make sure she wanted nothing to do with him- or, at least, he could make sure they never got the chance to begin a romance. Convenient interruptions would need to occur whenever they were alone together, but that would be easy enough to arrange... Brow creased in thought, he headed inside to talk to Soren. He would need her advice if this was going to work- provided she agreed with him. He ran through his list of arguments for acting to protect Carol as he went to track down his wife. Surely she'd understand why this needed to be done.

* * *

“No. Absolutely not.” Soren glowered at him, eyes narrowed.

“But-”

“Carol is an adult, Talos, and fully capable of making her own choices. I will not be part of your meddling. And I'd advise you not to try it either.”

He stared at her, incredulous. “You want to see her become one of Eros' castoffs?”

“No, I do not, but firstly, we don't know that would happen. Secondly, Carol has enough common sense to see through him. And third, you may not have ever noticed, but Eros has troubles too, though he rarely shows it.”

Talos didn't ask how his wife knew that. Soren had mild empathic abilities, an unusual but not unheard of gift among Skrulls. He _had_ known that Eros' cheerful, fun-loving attitude was a facade, but had no real idea what lay beneath it.

Soren put a hand on his shoulder, her voice gentling. “He's hurting, deep down, in a place he will not acknowledge. He and Carol are alike in that. Maybe, in time, they'll begin to heal each other.”

Talos frowned. What she was saying sounded nothing like the Eros that he'd known, but.... maybe he did have hidden depths. The one time he had simmed him, years ago, he had picked up a barbed, twisted darkness and sorrow in Eros' mind that he hadn't even dared to touch, let alone delve into. But then... “Why the constant act, then? Pretending to not have a care in the world, if...”

“It isn't our business to pry into the personal lives of our allies.” Soren's tone was layered with dual meaning, a warning to leave Eros' past alone, and also to not meddle in Carol's affairs. He sighed, his shoulders slumping. She was right, he knew it, but...

“I just don't want to see Carol get hurt again.” It sounded weak, even to his own ears.

Soren's hand slid into his, squeezing gently. “I know, my love. But she's stronger, more resilient, than you're giving her credit for. She's a survivor. As for Eros, who knows what will happen? He may not be here for long. He only really stopped by to check up on rumors of our reunion, you know that.”

“And because he's just bored, with nothing else to entertain him.” Talos snorted.

“Exactly. He could be gone in a week.”

“Or he could hang around for months, using up our resources, giving nothing but vague information in return...”

Soren's lips twitched in amusement. “As for that, I doubt it. Carol intrigues him, I know that much. And she won't give the time of day to someone who refuses to pull his weight.”

The thought made Talos grin. That was true enough. Carol hadn't hesitated to lay into any adult Skrull who refused to do their share of work in keeping the ship functioning and the atmosphere peaceful. If she had to deal with someone who did little more than lounge around and make cryptic, teasing comments about things... Her response to that would be something to see. Maybe he could even record it, to cheer himself up whenever Eros annoyed him. _And at least_, he thought to himself, _Once Carol sees just how unreliable Eros is, that'll put an end to any romantic notions between them_. Or so he hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Talos and Soren kind of took over this chapter. I promise there will be more of Carol and Eros in the next one!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short. Hope it's enjoyable anyway.

Eros whistled cheerily to himself as he sauntered towards the (very few) showers this ship had, stopping briefly to tug his boots off and toss them aside, then yanking his shirt over his head, mussing his hair even further, and letting the garment fall to the floor. The sound of running water, and its abrupt ceasing, reached his ears and his lips quirked in a grin. Carol had just finished her shower. Maybe he should do exactly what Talos feared, and actually have some fun... Leaning casually against the nearest wall, he smirked when she emerged, eyes roaming appreciatively over her. She was wrapped in a towel, her golden hair wet. Water dripped from it, leaving silk-like trails over her skin that gleamed in the artificial light. She almost recoiled at the sight of him and clutched the towel tighter to her, as if she feared it would fall.

“I've never understood why people do that,” Eros remarked conversationally. “Most humanoids have a similar physique. No need to be shy, I'm reasonably certain you don't have anything I've never seen before.” He winked. “Of course, if you thought you might and wanted me to check, I wouldn't object.”

“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes, while pointedly _not_ looking at his shirtless torso. She attempted to shove past him. “Hate to break it to you, but most _civilized_ people tend to keep their clothes on around people they barely know.”

He 'conveniently' chose that moment to stretch, flexing his muscles. “Most people are remarkably boring.” He laughed as Carol's face reddened and she deliberately looked away from him. “And, at the moment, I appear to be more covered up than you are.” Again, he scrutinized her- white towel wrapped round her, leaving her shoulders and most of her legs exposed. “In the interests of equality, and as I know you like what you see, I _could_... even the odds.” He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

She edged closer, meeting his gaze. Eros' grin widened. “Maybe... or... you could just go and have _your_ shower and leave me in peace so I can go and get dressed.” Carol shot the words at him as she elbowed him in the side, managing to get by him and disappearing around a corner.

His grin turned wry, and he stared over his shoulder after her for a moment, shaking his head. She was definitely a fiery creature, this Carol, whoever and whatever else she was, supposedly an artificially made Kree-Terran hybrid, with the power of a star under her skin, caused by her somehow absorbing energy from an experimental light-speed engine, if he'd understood correctly. She also seemed somewhat resistant to his pheromone-stimulating abilities and that intrigued him- very few beings in the universe could make such a claim. Perhaps he could... No. With effort, he crushed the tempting thought. He had come here to offer help, having heard rumors of the remaining Skrulls gathering, uniting in a renewed zest to locate a new homeworld. Admittedly, he had come here to try and work out what had changed in this centuries long war: what had caused the Skrulls to rally now, what made them think they suddenly stood a chance? A fanciful thought in his mind said that Carol had something to do with it, but what, he couldn't begin to imagine. It probably wasn't the case, anyway. She was a renegade soldier with some unusual gifts, that was all, no matter what her origin. The priority was escorting the Skrull survivors to a new and safer home, so they didn't end up all but utterly gone, as his own people had...

He, due to his thousands of years of life, and his nomadic lifestyle wandering through the stars, knew more of uncharted worlds beyond the reach of the Kree than the Skrull survivors would be able to learn in their lifetimes. He should focus on that, finding the tattered remnants of their decimated race a place of safety so they could begin to recover, not waste time and energy on an attractive woman who had caught his attention. There had been plenty of those in his life before, and there would no doubt be more in the future. The Skrulls, however, did not have unlimited time to try and save their species. They were the biggest priority here. (He could do both, he supposed, help the Skrulls _and_ pursue Carol openly, but that wouldn't be responsible, and he should at least pretend to be mature and reliable, if he wanted the Skrulls to continue to trust him.)

Still, as he undressed and stepped under the shower, enjoying the cascade of warm water over his grimy skin, he couldn't help but close his eyes, picturing sharing the small tiled space with Carol, imagining that the water caressing him was the touch of her fingertips. And who knew? He could well be here for some time, helping the Skrulls navigate to a safe new home. Perhaps, in time, things _would_ develop between him and the lovely female... He wouldn't deny finding a somewhat immature joy in the knowledge that pursuing Carol would be irritating to Talos as well- the Skrull male _really_ needed to lighten up sometimes.


	5. Chapter 5

Carol sighed as she stopped her endless wandering through the ship, leaning (quietly) against a wall. It was the middle of the night cycle, and almost everyone else on the ship was sleeping. She should be too, she knew that, but she wasn't in the mood for seeing the jumbled mess that her dreams tended to form these days- a whirlwind of images of her life on Earth, and on Hala, mixed together like they'd been thrown into a blender. While she was awake, she knew who she was, more or less, and who her friends were. In dreams, the truth became distorted, impossible to sort through, and she tended to wake feeling confused about where she was, and more exhausted than she had the night before. Better to avoid that for as long as she could. Besides, it made sense to have someone patrolling the ship at night, just in case something happened. (She ignored the fact that Talos had organized a rota of the Skrulls to sit up in the cockpit in shifts throughout the night on guard duty. The cockpit was way too far from the bunks to consider the whole ship guarded.)

Her eyes closed. For just a second, she let herself miss being able to go and pound on... someone's door (she refused to think his name again) and being able to spar with him to distract herself. _But whatever it was you had with him, it was a lie_. She reminded herself. _You were a weapon to him. Never anything else._ Grinding her teeth, she rubbed her hands against her face, as if she could scrub the disquieting thoughts away.

“Mnh... No.... don't...” The voice, slurred and indistinct, was loud enough to startle her, and she whirled. It was coming from one of the bunks, but she couldn't remember whose room it was. Cautiously, she edged closer. Was someone having a nightmare? She knew how unpleasant that could be... should she knock and wake them? She tentatively raised her fist to knock, then hesitated.

“No... can't be too late, have to go back... can't _all_ be gone... No!” The voice had risen to a near shout, and Carol stepped back, confused. The voice sounded like Eros, but what the heck did Mr Cheerful have to have nightmares about? She backed away, fully intending to make herself scarce, not wanting to see him, as the sound of movement came from behind the closed door. She hadn't made it two strides before the door hissed open and Eros erupted from his room, shirtless, his eyes bleary, moving like he wanted to flee from whatever it was he'd been dreaming of.

His eyes fell on her and the haunted look vanished like he'd magically wiped it from his face, his expression morphing into the typical cocky, cheerful grin he normally wore. “Carol. Fancy finding you lurking outside my door at this hour.” His voice sounded _almost_ like his usual swaggering tone, but there was an undercurrent of unease, as if he were forcing the attitude. She eyed him carefully.

“Are you... alright? I heard...”

He waved his hand dismissively. “Fine. I slept like a baby, all's well.” He paused, then winked at her. “Hm, you weren't outside my bedroom door hoping for an invite inside, were you?”

_Oh, my god_. Did he never stop? She rolled her eyes. “You _wish_.” An idea occurred to her and she stared him down, wondering if he'd fall for it. “You were making so much racket sleep talking that you woke me up. Can't keep your mouth shut even you're asleep, huh?”

His eyes gleamed, as if he was enjoying the banter. “Maybe I was feigning it so you would hear and come and visit.”

She folded her arms, abruptly short on patience. She hadn't slept well for days, and wasn't in the mood to keep fending off his attempts at hitting on her. “I don't think so. No-one sounds that upset unless something's really wrong.”

Eros' expression didn't change, but she saw him tense- his shoulders tightened, and tiny lines became visible near his eyes. “You think I let anything upset me?”

Staring him down, she did something that had always gotten her into trouble with Yon-Rogg: said exactly what she was thinking, without trying to sugar-coat it. “I think you do a damn good job at _pretending_ nothing does, even when it's not true.”

Emerald eyes narrowed, scrutinizing her. “Like you do, you mean?” His voice had lost its usual jovial tone now, becoming more serious than she'd heard so far. His eyes seemed to be going straight through her, and she quickly broke eye contact.

“Maybe. But at least I don't constantly put on an act of being happy when I'm not.”

Eros scoffed. “No, you just make yourself scarce and avoid what's bothering you until you find something to punch to distract yourself.”

Carol froze, suddenly feeling very exposed. Was she that obvious? No-one else had mentioned how often she went off on missions to avoid being around others whenever she didn't want to think about... anything. Her heart pounded and she thought fast, desperate to get off this topic, especially as Eros was still X-raying her with the intensity of his gaze. Full-frontal assault time. “What was your nightmare about? You said something about 'can't _all_ be gone.' What, did you dream that you'd run out of dates or something?”

She almost felt Eros' gaze leave her, and stifled a sigh of relief. But he was now staring at the floor, his shoulders slumped, and, against her will, she felt bad. Looked like she'd hit a nerve. She'd meant her words as a joke, but maybe it'd come out harsher than she intended? “Uh... sorry if I said something wrong...”

He didn't reply, or look up. Now she felt guilty. She didn't much like the far-too-good looking, annoying man, but she hadn't meant to cause him pain. What now, go and wake Talos to explain she'd upset his friend? _Oh, sure, like you're a kid who's done something wrong, running to an adult for help._ No, she needed to fix this. Somehow. She racked her brains. What would she have done if Maria was upset? Punching the culprit was her first thought, but punching herself wouldn't help, it'd just hurt, and probably make her look nuts. Failing that... _Aha_. She took a tiny step forward, reaching out so her hand just brushed Eros' shoulder, only then registering that he was shirtless. Again. (She was absolutely _not_ enjoying the view.) “Hey. Since neither of us is sleeping... I know where Talos hides the alcohol. Fancy a drink?”

Eros finally looked up, managing a small grin. Carol couldn't deny she felt relieved. Despite how aggravating his constant happiness was, seeing him otherwise was... disconcerting. “Sounds good.”

They headed towards the central area of the ship, a floor away from the sleeping area, so hopefully their talking wouldn't disturb anyone. Eros flopped down on a couch while Carol checked behind the chipped panel on the left wall. Sure enough, there were a few bottles concealed. She helped herself to a couple, decided they wouldn't need glasses, and just took a seat opposite him.

“Not going to sit with me?” He pouted. “I thought we'd cuddle together for warmth...”

Carol rolled her eyes, tossing one of the bottles to him. “I said we could hang out and drink because it's better than not-sleeping alone. Don't read any more into it.”

Eros tilted his head to one side, smirking. “We could play a game of cards... loser removes an item of clothing each round...” He ducked, fast, as Carol tossed a bottlecap at him with enough force to do considerably more than muss his hair. He laughed as she took a swig. “I'll take that as a maybe next time!”

“Dream on.” She shook her head as Eros sampled his own drink. He was utterly shameless... but, he was good at making her smile, though she'd never tell him that. Another swig of wine, and warmth coursed through her. “So... you've known Talos and Soren for a long time?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Carol's lips twitched. “Did you know Talos is petrified of flerken?”

Eros' brows arched. “No...”

Carol snorted, then launched into the story of how he'd reacted when Goose had introduced herself, on Earth. The story segued into the whole adventure with them finding Mar-Vell's ship. Eros began adding humorous anecdotes of his own, and between that and the alcohol, they were both laughing before too long, all bad dreams and animosity forgotten.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly for those who were curious about Eros' backstory. I try to explain why he hasn't shown up or been mentioned in the MCU. Hopefully it makes sense, and be warned: Extreme Angst ahead.

Eros tossed and turned in his bunk, forcing his eyes to remain closed, yet well aware he'd probably take hours to relax enough to sleep, if he managed it at all. It had been a struggle to fall asleep for... how long had it been, now? Nearly a hundred standard years? He stifled a groan. Almost a century since his home had been lost, along with his people, but still the dreams plagued him. He had a feeling they always would. Giving up on the idea of sleep, since it probably wouldn't happen, he sat up, puzzling over how he could pass the time until the morning cycle began. He'd gotten lucky the other night, as Carol had been awake too, and she'd been kind enough to sit up talking and distract him. That was most likely because she had problems sleeping herself, he knew that, but still... it had helped. He couldn't rely on her again, couldn't inconvenience her that way. He didn't deserve support, couldn't burden anyone else with his problems. And, like a child unable to resist prodding at an unhealed wound, his mind carried him back through the years, to the worst time of his life...

* * *

Eros panted for breath as his abrupt descent through this planet's atmosphere stopped. After a moment, he straightened up and looked around. His heart sank. Another battlefield- if you could call it that. Another world carpeted in corpses, the sound of the survivors' grief deafening. And no sign of the forces who had done all this- or their leader. For the millionth time, he cursed himself for not being at home on Titan when his brother had had his insane epiphany. No, Eros had been on Terra at the time, visiting his cousins. He was the only one Thanos had ever really confided in, the only one who might have been able to reason with him. But by the time he had returned home, it was too late. Thanos had been exiled. Unable to convince his father and the other elders of Titan to repeal their decision, Eros had left Titan once more, searching for his brother. Thanos would listen to him, he had to! But as more and more time passed and Eros found nothing but worlds with huge amounts of their populations slaughtered, and only rumor of 'the Mad Titan' and his deadly army, his hope began to waver. But he couldn't give up. If he didn't try and get through to Thanos, it was certain that no-one else would. Angry with his father, he had been ignoring calls from home for some time, to the point of 'accidentally' losing his comm, but now, looking around at this latest scene of carnage... Maybe he should at least consider stopping for a while. His method of searching for his brother was getting him nowhere, and he was weary, in body and mind.

Sighing, he took one last look around at this decimated world, knowing that he should offer help, but also that it would not be accepted, especially not if they knew who he was. What could he do now anyway? Grimacing, he launched himself into space once more, bulleting through the starways until he reached another habitable system. Once there, sick and tired of flying unaided, he approached a merchant, thinking he could barter passage home. But when he mentioned Titan, the Shi'ar male had looked at him, astounded. “No payment would convince me to go there, after what happened.”

The bleak look in the Shi'ar's eyes sent chills down Eros' spine. “What do you mean, after what happened?”

“Stars, don't you keep up with the news, boy?” The elderly Shi'ar shook his head, his feathered plumes rippling. “There was some kind of natural disaster on Titan years ago. The whole surface destabilized, and between that and overpopulation...” Another head-shake. “The place is a graveyard now. No-one left. And with all the bodies, and with no idea how stable the remaining atmosphere is, the world's been declared a biohazard. Titan's totally off limits. No-one goes in or out these days.”

Every drop of blood in Eros' veins turned to ice. He couldn't move, could barely breathe. He hadn't made contact with his home for a while, but this... this _had_ to be wrong. This, or something like it, had been exactly what Thanos had predicted, what he had been exiled for, but to have had it _happen_.... “And... the survivors?” He finally managed to rasp out. “Where did they go?” Even if Titan was now uninhabitable, he just needed to find whoever had made it out, and figure out what to do from there.

The Shi'ar male snorted derisively. “Weren't you listening, boy? There were no survivors. The Titans are gone. None of them made it out.” Rolling his eyes, he barged past Eros, leaving him standing alone, with no idea where to go, or what to do now, except to pray that all of this was some kind of nightmare. His home, his parents, all his friends and everything he'd known and loved... all of it, just... gone. And he hadn't even been back, not even once, too busy fruitlessly hunting for Thanos and refusing to forgive his father for exiling him. Now he would never, ever, get to speak to A'Lars again, never see him or settle the argument they had had... all because he was too selfish and stubborn to listen to him. Instead, he had wasted so much time looking for Thanos... Thanos, who had seen this coming, somehow. Eros' eyes stung with tears as hundreds, thousands of faces that he had known and loved all his life flashed through his mind. All of them gone, forever. Anguish and grief seared and boiled through his veins like a living thing. "Damn you, brother. Damn you for being _right_."

* * *

Back in the present, Eros shook his head. Hard. He _had_ to stop thinking about this. It was done. It couldn't be changed. He'd carry the guilt forever, but there was no use in dwelling on his mistakes. He had wandered wherever he would after learning the fate of Titan, not really knowing where he was half the time, and caring even less. Thoughts of finding Thanos disappeared utterly from his mind- what did it matter now? There was no 'home' to take his brother back to, even if he could find him. And facing Thanos and admitting that he had been right... He couldn't do it. Not ever. Thanos likely assumed him dead along with everyone else, and correcting that assumption would open a can of worms he decidedly did not want to deal with, especially now that Thanos was, pretty much, the horror story that every species spoke of on dark nights. He couldn't bear to see the monster that his brother had become. His cousins on far-away Terra no doubt believed him lost with the rest of Titan's inhabitants, if they ever heard of Titan's fate at all. They knew nothing of Thanos, had never even set eyes on him. But that meant there was no-one left who knew or cared that Eros still lived. So he gave up. On himself, on life, on caring about anything. He drifted from world to world, aimlessly, seeking thrills and pleasures, taking lovers when he could, doing anything and everything to distract himself, to let himself feel something, anything, and quiet the demons in his mind. He'd forced himself to maintain his old, ever-cheerful attitude to avoid awkward questions, or worse, pity that he didn't feel he deserved. His smile was the mask he wore to cover the gaping hole where his heart had once been; then it became armor that he hid behind, and now, he wasn't sure if there was anything but emptiness beneath it. Emptiness, and pain and guilt.

As time passed, he'd regained something of a conscience, and, when he could, if he saw people who needed help, tried to do what he could, without drawing unwanted attention to himself. He wasn't a hero, not even close, and had no interest in building a reputation as one. He was worth nothing. Those he tried to help- lately, Talos and the remnants of his people- they deserved the chance that Titan hadn't gotten, so he would help them, in the hopes that, someday, it would balance the unbearable weight he felt for failing his own people so miserably, focusing on Thanos all those years ago, when, if he had been at home where he belonged, he might have been able to change things, save some of them...

“But you didn't.” He told himself quietly, bitterly. He'd been stupid, he'd messed up, and he'd never be able to make up for that. Maybe helping to re-home the Skrulls was selfish of him too, maybe he was only doing it to assuage his own guilt, but still, he would do it. And after that?

Carol's face slipped into his mind, and he thought about what Talos and Soren had told him about her. Stolen from Terra by the Kree, made into a Kree hybrid against her will, and, with her memory wiped, forged into a weapon _against_ the Skrulls. She'd broken free, of course, and chosen for herself which side of the war she would fight on (if you could call it a war with the Skrulls outnumbered at least a thousand to one) but from what he understood, the Kree still hunted her. It wasn't the first time the Kree had overreached themselves, creating living weapons that they then lost control of, and it probably wouldn't be the last, but Carol... there was something special about her. Maybe, once they'd found a safe home for the Skrulls, if she decided to deal with the Kree's absurd 'Supreme Intelligence' as she'd hinted she would, the other night, he would tag along and offer help, if she'd have him. Or maybe even if she wouldn't.

He enjoyed her company, and the challenge she presented, always willing to return fire when he teased her. And anything was better than being left alone with nothing to do but think about his past mistakes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot? What plot? This chapter is pure silliness, (mostly) but I hope it's enjoyable. 😊

Carol yawned and stretched, cracking her back, as she made her way to the main kitchen area, hoping someone else was up. It was early in the morning cycle, but she didn't want to sleep any more- too many dreams of Hala that part of her still thought had been a 'good' life. She was sick of seeing _his_ face, his smile, in her mind.

Loud, high pitched laughter, and the clanking of metal, echoed from the kitchen, and she tilted her head, puzzled. Were some of the kids in there? Why? She thought Soren had banned them from playing in the kitchen without an adult present after an incident involving the water heaters and a can of carbonated juice...

Stepping into the kitchen, she paused, taking in the scene- then spent a huge effort in not bursting out laughing, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

There were cooking implements and ingredients _everywhere_. Over every countertop, on the floor, splattering the ceiling in some cases... A handful of the Skrull children were running back and forth, choosing ingredients and supplements at random, and tossing whatever they had into the nearest pan or pot- that is, when they weren't coating their hands, faces or clothing with whatever it was. Eros, as unkempt and food-stained as the children were, stood near the heated rings, keeping an eye on whatever concoctions needed to be heated. They were all chattering away, talking over each other excitedly, and none of them seemed to have noticed Carol yet.

Eros was actually the first to notice her standing there, and he grinned ruefully, his face reddening a little as he shrugged as if to say 'What can you do?'

Carol stepped into the kitchen- carefully, avoiding stepping in the worst of the mess. She considered informing Eros that he had vegetable peel in his hair, but decided against it- it wouldn't do for her to add to the mess, would it? “What is going on?” She struggled to sound normal, but couldn't quite hold in her giggles.

Eros grinned. “Little Anelle,” He gestured at Talos and Soren's daughter, whose face was almost totally white, due to a coating of flour, “Woke early and wanted to make breakfast for her parents as a surprise. I thought I'd help, but then some of her friends wandered in, and it turned into 'invent a new recipe', so...”

“As well as redecorating the kitchen, apparently.” Carol shook her head. “And you didn't think to at least limit them to one part of the kitchen?”

He gave her a helpless look, his eyes big and puppy like. “I tried! But they were having so much fun, I didn't want to ruin it for them.”

“Nice thought, but you do realize they're wasting a lot of the food supplies that I only just refilled, right?”

Eros froze. “Uh...” He hesitated. “I didn't think of that. I only wanted to give them something fun to do.”

Carol folded her arms. “Uh-huh. You planning to tell Talos that?”

“Planning to tell me what?” Talos' voice echoed from just outside the kitchen, and Eros winced. The children continued their 'cooking', oblivious. Carol moved to Eros' side, suddenly aware that she was going to stand up for him, even though he had just done something totally irresponsible. He'd meant well, and the kids _were_ enjoying themselves.

“What's going on in...here...” Talos' voice trailed off as he stepped into view and he beheld the disaster site that had been a kitchen. His face contorted, as if he wasn't sure quite what he was seeing. His eyes narrowed, teeth bared slightly, and Carol sighed, knowing this preceded anger.

Eros pulled on his usual dazzling smile, as if he thought that would distract Talos from being angry, his green eyes meeting and holding Talos' purple ones. “The children woke early and were bored. I thought I'd let them make breakfast to keep them from disturbing you and the others.”

That wasn't exactly what he'd told Carol, but she assumed he was trying to keep the older kids out of trouble. It wouldn't work, though. Talos wouldn't be impressed at this waste of food.

The Skrull general sighed, but his face softened. “Fine.”

Carol's jaw nearly dropped. _Fine?!_ He'd been furious a few weeks ago when some meat had accidentally been left to spoil. Now, deliberate waste of half their supplies was 'fine'? He was even smiling! OK, yes, this was just the kids playing, but she had thought he'd be mad at Eros, at least... Only then did she notice that Eros still held Talos' gaze, and her eyes narrowed. What was that about, was Eros doing something to him somehow? Talos _was_ acting kind of out of character...

The children had noticed Talos' presence now, and the chatter died down, replaced with stifled giggles and sheepish grins. Anelle sidled over to her father, an innocent look on her face. She chirped something, and Talos smiled and nodded, before addressing the other children. “Right, if you helped make this mess, you can help clear it up before Soren sees it.” He turned to Eros. “And, since you started this, you can go on another supply run. We'll need more food now if we actually want to eat.” Oddly, he was _still_ smiling.

Eros nodded. “Of course. Sorry again, I didn't really think that through.” Nothing in his voice indicated that he'd done anything wrong, but Carol eyed him, then Talos. She was sure he'd done something to improve Talos' temper, somehow...

“Are you going planetside now? I'll go with you, keep you company.”

Eros smirked. “Eager to spend time with me, hmm?”

She rolled her eyes. “Keep telling yourself that. There's just something I need to do if we're planet-bound. Might as well tag along with you if you're going anyway.” She decided not to mention the thing she had to do was interrogate him about what, exactly, he'd done to Talos. (Assuming she wasn't just being paranoid, but she couldn't shake her belief that Eros had done _something_.)

Talos, now shepherding the kids into cleaning up, nodded. “See you both soon then.” He turned away, then glanced back. “Oh, and you might want to fix your new hairstyle, Eros, before you go out in public.”

Eros' hands flew to his hair, where a curled vegetable peel still stuck straight upright, a look of disgust on his face. Carol gave in to her laughter as he frantically tidied himself up while they walked away. She should probably tell him he also had some kind of purple sauce on his nose- but then again, maybe not. Watching people laugh at him with him having no idea why had a certain appeal...


	8. Chapter 8

Carol had, with an effort, managed to keep quiet about her suspicion that Eros had done something to Talos earlier. She'd focused on speaking to the traders while they were planetside gathering more food supplies, ignoring Eros as much as she could. On the ship down here, she'd just avoided him by pretending to be engrossed in reading, despite Eros' attempts to engage her in conversation. He hadn't even wanted to _take_ a ship, claiming that the nearest world was so close, he and Carol could fly there under their own power and it would be just as fast. Carol had one-upped him, pointing out that flying back through open space with armloads of perishable foods wouldn't end well. He'd looked sheepish, then simply laughed at himself. Her only response had been to roll her eyes, but she'd been intrigued- did _nothing_ dampen his cheerful mood?

Well. Clearly some things did, as she'd found out the other night, having caught him having a nightmare, but during waking hours, he never gave any sign of being sad or troubled by anything. It was weird, and probably not good for him... Carol frowned, adjusting the stack of parcels in her arms and wrenching her thoughts back to what she'd planned to address once they were back on the ship and heading back to join the Skrulls- how and why Eros had (she assumed) altered Talos' mood.

“Penny for them?” Eros' voice broke her train of thought as they crossed the shipyard and boarded their small vessel.

“What?”

“Penny for your thoughts. Isn't that a Terran phrase? I just wondered what you've been thinking so deeply about that you haven't said five words to me this whole trip.” He waited for her to reply while they quickly stowed their purchases in the hold, and plugged in the co-ordinates for Talos' ship.

“Oh, I...” Carol turned and made the mistake of meeting his glittering emerald eyes, thereby utterly losing the words she'd been about to say. “Uh...” She swallowed hard, trying to focus. (Why was he so damned attractive? It was totally unfair.) “What did you do to Talos?” _Oh, brilliant, Carol, that'll make SO much sense without any context whatsoever!_ “Before we came here. When he found you and the kids making a mess in the kitchen. He was mad, then you looked at him, and he... wasn't.”

Eros hesitated for a second, blinking, before staring at her as if he was confused by her accusation. “So he decided not to act on his anger. What makes you think it had anything to do with me?”

Her shoulders slumped, tension seeping from her. What proof did she have, really? Maybe Talos really did just want to stay calm in front of Anelle and her friends... A small smile spread over her face- and only then did she register that Eros still held her gaze. She broke eye contact and stepped back immediately. “Whatever that was, whatever you did, knock it off. Now!” She let the flames of her powers surround her clenched fists to show she meant it.

“Interesting...” Eros' voice was musing now. “I can count on one hand the number of beings I've known who can actually pick up on that, let alone throw the effects off completely. I knew you were resistant, but...” He shook his head. “Amazing.”

Very carefully, she moved her head so she could see him, but kept her gaze focused over his left shoulder, avoiding his eyes. “Amazing? Pick up on what? What did you do?!”

He held his hands up defensively. “Listen, trust me, it's harmless, alright? One of my abilities is affecting pheromones to some extent, lightening people's moods if something is bothering them. There's no way it could ever hurt anyone. I just make them happy.”

“You get inside people's heads and mess with their minds.” Carol re-phrased what Eros had just said, a slow burning anger beginning deep within her. “You make them feel what _you_ want them to feel. And that's 'harmless'?”

Eros looked baffled. “Yes?” He frowned, his expression perplexed. “What's wrong with wanting people to be happy?”

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to stay calm. _Explaining the problem is better than blasting him, Carol_. “There wouldn't be anything wrong with it, if they'd given you permission to do so before you acted. But what makes you think you have the right to dictate how someone else feels, or to change it?”

Eros now looked pensive, as if this had literally never been spelled out for him before- and who knew, maybe it hadn't. “I...”

“Didn't think that counts as taking advantage of someone, trying to control how they think or feel?” Carol's tone had become scathing. “Like you don't think people have the right to feel how they want to feel? None of that matters, because you're sure you know better, right, Yo-?” Her hands shook, and she clamped her jaw shut. She had _not_ almost called Eros by Yon's name. “Sorry, I... that kind of thing strikes a nerve with me.”

“Because of the Kree, and what they did to you and your memories.” It didn't sound like a question.

Carol, feeling shaken by what she'd just blurted out, nodded, forgetting for a moment that she was mad at Eros right now.

“You're angry. Hurt. Confused. And lonely.” Eros spoke quietly. “I feel all that like I do my own emotions. It's the flip side of my ability. I'm what's called an empath. I feel the emotions of others, all the time.” He spread his hands. “Can you really fault me for wanting to ease their pain, when it's in my power to do so?”

“So you do it because you can.” Carol snorted. “I _can_ go around blowing up planets and slaughtering all my enemies until the people I want to protect are safe. Does that mean I have the right to do that?”

“No, of course not! You shouldn't _ever_ behave that way. No-one should, no being _ever_ has that right, no matter what their reasoning.” The vehemence of Eros' reply startled her, and his expression suddenly looked almost haunted, pained, which wrong-footed her. Why did he look so horrified? It wasn't like she'd been serious, she'd just made an example... Ignoring his pained expression, she shot back her reply nonetheless, determined to hammer her point home.

“So if it's wrong for me to play god with others, why is it OK for you to pretty much do the same?”

“It's not...”

“Not the same? Really? So when you use your powers on others, violate them, you're not deciding your will is more important than theirs?”

He looked absolutely stunned. “Violate.... no, I never mean anything like that, I just...”

Carol eyed him carefully. “This has really never occurred to you before, has it?”

“No.” The word was a mutter, as if he were ashamed to admit it. “Look, if I'm honest... I've been... trying to deal with my own emotional pain for many years. I can never fix myself, so when I sense turmoil in others... I only want to help.”

_Fix himself?_ Despite her still simmering anger, Carol was concerned. “Are your problems something to do with your nightmares?” Blunt, but she had never been a subtle person.

Eros' face tightened, and he didn't reply. She ploughed on. “I struggle with nightmares sometimes too. Soren keeps telling me to talk about them, like it'll help somehow. I don't think it would, at least, not talking to her. I don't think she'd really get it. But, maybe, talking to someone with a similar problem...” The hint was glaringly obvious, but Eros didn't take the bait. He merely shook his head.

“Not now, not yet.... you wouldn't understand. You wouldn't look at me the same way if you knew...” He was almost talking under his breath, and something deep inside Carol said he _did_ want to talk, but couldn't bring himself to do it. His nightmares had sounded bad, though, from what little she'd heard, and something in his face, when she'd sarcastically commented about destroying planets... it looked like she'd struck a nerve, and he had reacted intensely. What had _happened_ in his past? Now wasn't the time to pry, though. Did Talos and Soren know anything about Eros' history? She resolved to ask them when they got home and she had a private moment to talk to one of them. In the meantime however, this 'emotion-altering' thing still needed to be sorted. “OK. I won't force you to talk. God knows I never let anyone make me talk about my problems. But... if you ever do want to just offload about anything...”

Eros chuckled, his usual cheerful mask returning like a switch had been flipped, yet it appeared more brittle than normal, like his self-control had slipped the tiniest bit. “Carol, if I 'offloaded' onto you, the weight would crush you down to atoms.”

“Maybe you underestimate how strong I am.” She retaliated, smirking. “As for the other thing... just remember, you yourself said I can tell when you use your powers on me, so _don't_. Not ever. Got it? As for the others on the ship.... knock it off unless they explicitly give you permission. Do that, and I won't tell Talos you messed with him earlier. It'll be forgotten. Deal?” She offered her hand, hesitated, then met his gaze again; a show of trust.

Deep, emerald green eyes gazed into hers, minus the soothing lightness she'd felt earlier and now knew to be Eros' powers taking effect. His hand, soft and warm, clasped round hers, fitting like it had been molded to hers. “Deal.”

Eros' grin widened and he leaned closer, until she could feel his breath on her face. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she let his lips brush against hers, feather-light, for a second- before sending a none-too-gentle charge through her fingers, shocking his hand and startling him into releasing her.

“You'll have to do better than that, Casanova!” She called back as she sauntered further into the ship. She heard Eros' laughter echoing behind her, and let herself giggle as she blushed. Fine, there was more to Eros than she'd first thought, but that didn't mean she was going to give in to his flirting. Not yet, anyway. But it no longer seemed as ridiculous as it once had. Maybe, if he was willing to actually talk to her, and they got the chance to get to know each other properly... who knew what could happen?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to be about Carol and Soren bonding, yet somehow it became about Soren (and Eros') backstory... Hope it's enjoyable anyway!

Soren was lying on her back at an odd 45 degree angle, waist-deep in the circuits beneath a floor panel close to the ship's main power source, trying to improve the power output so it flowed more smoothly, not stuttering and surging each time a new appliance was activated. Consequently, only her legs were visible when the vibrations in the floor above her alerted her that someone was approaching. Mind still on her work, and struggling to reach a resistor that had burnt out, and was just beyond her grasp, she called out to whoever was there. “Can you hand me the smaller torque, please?”

A pause, more footsteps, then the torque sailed into the hole and landed on her stomach, the chill of the metal seeping through her shirt and making her gasp.

“Uh, hope you got it.” Carol's voice echoed from above. “I can't really see where I'm aiming...”

Soren twisted and squirmed in the limited space, managing to get a grip on the tool. “Got it. Thank you.”

“Anything else I can do?” There was a sound of shuffling. Soren grinned as she quickly removed and replaced the fried resistor.

“Are you that bored, Carol, or just avoiding someone?” Finishing up, Soren replaced the wires she'd removed, then wriggled and slid upwards until she was free from the ship's innards. Slotting the floor panel back into place, she stood, dusting herself off before looking at her friend.

Carol had folded her arms, and now raised an eyebrow. “And just who do you think I might be avoiding?”

Soren didn't try to hide her grin this time. “A certain mutual red-haired friend of ours who's clearly taken quite a shine to you, perhaps? If you didn't return that shine, it would make sense for you to steer clear of him...” It was a leading question, but she didn't care. Talos' worries about Eros pursuing Carol had nagged at her, despite what she'd told her husband, and she wanted to know what, if anything, might happen between them. From Carol's emotions now, what little she could sense of them simply by being in the same place, the part-Terran was definitely interested in Eros- there had been a spark of desire when he had been mentioned- but she was also extremely cautious. Not surprising, given how badly her trust had been abused in the past. “If you did feel something for him, though, there's nothing wrong with that...”

“I.. I don't know if I should.” Carol sighed. “What do you really know about Eros, Soren? Who he is, where he comes from?”

Soren looked at her thoughtfully. “If I am honest, not a great deal. I know he lives a nomadic life, helping others who need it to the best of his ability. I am aware that he is incredibly long-lived and has several unusual powers, some of which could perhaps be compared to yours. He has been loyal to our cause as long as I have known him, and he has my complete trust.”

Carol frowned. “You trust someone you know almost nothing about?”

“Talos did just that to an extent when he met you.” Soren pointed out, keeping her voice even. “And Eros has given us much help in the past, just as you do now.”

Carol dropped her eyes as if ashamed. “I know, but...” She took a deep breath. “Did you know Eros is an empath?”

Soren chose her words carefully. “Yes, because, when I was still a child and my abilities began to make themselves known, he was able to guide me through controlling them. Though his gifts are in an utterly different league to mine. I could never match him.”

“It's not the same though. You can't totally change how someone is feeling- can you?” Narrowed brown eyes shot to hers, suddenly wary.

It hit Soren then, why Carol might feel uneasy- after what she'd been through at the hands of the Kree's Supreme Intelligence, of course she would be paranoid about the idea of someone meddling with her sense of self! She could have kicked herself for not being more tactful. “No, no. My gifts are...” She shook her head. “Think of it as, I can 'see' currents of emotions, and with some effort, create tiny ripples in the surface. Eros' gifts allow him to command oceans and create tsunamis.”

“Is that supposed to reassure me to trust him? Because it's not working.”

Soren held her gaze steadily. “I have known Eros since I wasn't much older than your Terran friend's little girl. I trust him as much as I trust Talos, or you. He has only ever used his powers to lighten heavy moods. He means no harm. He would never make you do anything against your will.”

Carol stared at her. “You think it's _myself_ I'm worried about? I can throw the effect of his powers off, kind of. What scares me is he might manage to manipulate you guys somehow!”

Soren's brow arched at the detail that Carol could, apparently resist Eros' empathic suggestions, but forced herself to remain focused on the subject at hand. She didn't want to have an atmosphere on the ship because one of her friends wouldn't trust another. “He isn't capable of that.” She held up a hand to halt Carol's protest. “I'm not saying his abilities don't allow for such things, but he, as a person, simply is not capable of that.”

“How can you be sure?”

Soren sighed, then glanced around to make sure no-one was listening- the story she was about to tell was private. No-one but herself and Eros knew this. “I first met Eros not long after I had been orphaned. He found me, in disguise, begging for food and pick-pocketing to survive. He guided me to another cell of my people, providing for me along the way, and we've stayed in touch, periodically, ever since.”

“Being kind to an orphaned child doesn't mean he'd never-”

“Before we found a cell of my people, we came across a group of Kree slavers first. I was in disguise, and they had no reason to take note of Eros,” Soren carried on, speaking almost in a monotone. “But what I'd seen when my home was bombed by the Accusers still burned in my mind. I was angry, hurting. I wanted any Kree, all Kree, to suffer. I tried to use my abilities to make them turn on each other. It didn't work. I begged and begged Eros to do something, to destroy them, or to make the slaves turn on them. I knew from what he'd told me of his own abilities, from what he'd taught me, that he _could_ talk anyone into anything. But no matter what I said, he refused. He would not use his powers in a way that would lead to harming others, no matter who they were. He hauled me away instead, stowing me in an inn and locking me inside a room before leaving again for a few hours. He returned, that grin he always wears on his face, and informed me that an anonymous benefactor, some royal from a world very few people had heard of, had used credits from their account to purchase all the slaves there and free them, before revoking the trading license owned by those particular Kree and seeing to it they were banned from this world.” She shook her head ruefully. “It took me a while to piece it together, but I think that _he_ somehow managed that, and the 'philanthropic royal' story was just nonsense to distract me. He never admitted to that, but I'm sure I'm right.”

Carol looked intrigued, her suspicion forgotten- for now. “Did you ever ask him about it again?”

“Only once, that same night. I was still seething, and demanded to know why he hadn't dealt with the Kree himself, immediately, instead of going the circuitous route and remaining hidden. He said violence only breeds violence, and if I'd acted on my need for revenge, I'd be no better than the Kree, lashing out at all because of the actions of a small percentage of the race- those in the military. It's better to meet cruelty with kindness, to prevent things escalating, if you can.” She was silent for a moment. “I've tried to remember that philosophy in the years since. It's not always possible, but it's a good creed to try and live by.”

A blonde eyebrow arched. “That's... deeper than I'd expect, coming from him.”

“Mm-hmm. A lot goes on in his mind behind the act he puts on. But I don't know if we, or anyone, will ever really know the whole story of his past. His nightmares...”

“He had those even back when you first knew him?”

“Yes- oh, you were woken by Eros' nightmares the other night, weren't you? Talos told me.” Soren couldn't help a glimmer of curiosity. “Did Eros tell you anything?”

“No. As soon as he woke up and realized I was there, the 'cheerful' mask went back on.” Carol paused. “He pretty much admitted it was bad, though, when we were on that supply run. And in his sleep, I heard him saying something about 'them all being gone.'” She shook her head helplessly. “I think he's lost a lot, but if he won't talk.... and yes, I know, I'm just as bad about bottling things up, you don't need to say it.”

“Wouldn't dream of it.” Soren quipped as they silently agreed that their talk was over and began walking from the maintenance area back to the inhabited parts of the ship. She grinned slyly, her eyes gleaming. “But do you actually _like_ him?”

Red spots bloomed on Carol's cheeks. “I... think I could. Maybe. In time. If he doesn't annoy me into strangling him first.”

Soren's trilling laugh echoed, making Carol smile too. “Oh, believe me, all men do that. The sheer number of times I've wanted to throttle my husband over the years...”

“Throttle me?! What did I do now?” Talos stepped round a corner, his hands raised defensively, a half-serious look on his face. “Whatever I did, I apologize.” He fell to his knees theatrically, gazing up at Soren with big, pleading eyes. "Spare my life!"

The two women burst out laughing to the point of doubling over with mirth. Regaining some portion of self-control, Soren shook her head fondly at her mate. “Honestly, you're ridiculous. Eavesdroppers never hear anything good, you should know that by now. What are you doing up here anyway? I thought you were 'watching Eros like a hawk so he cannot cause any more chaos'?”

Talos shrugged. “Some of the children wanted to hear a story. I figured he couldn't do any harm that way. When I left the rec room, he was telling some yarn about two princes, brothers who were complete opposites but ended up best friends. It seemed like any other boring fairy tale, so I just left him to it. The little ones were enthralled though.”

Soren didn't comment, instead watching Carol thoughtfully, as she slipped away from them, heading for the rec room, no doubt. She bit her lip to keep from chuckling. Carol's 'Maybe' response to her questions aside, she could tell Eros had certainly caught her attention. Eros himself was certainly not hiding that he was interested in her. Whether or not it actually became anything romantic.... only time would tell. She would cross her fingers for them though- what greater joy could there be than to see two close friends heal from their respective wounds and sorrows, and find happiness together?

Out of nowhere, she felt a drastic surge of emotion, harsh enough to make her gasp and stagger where she stood, before a guttural cry of pain, a half-strangled sound, reached them, followed almost instantly by a high-pitched screech- a young Skrull in some kind of distress. Both sounds came from the rec room. As Soren and Talos raced towards the sounds, wrenching, heart-rending sobs could be heard, torn from the throat of someone utterly despairing. Tears were rolling down Soren's face in sympathy as she took in the scene: Vina, only twelve years old, curled almost into a ball, her face contorted in pain, hands pressed to her ears, a protective movement often done to block out extreme emotions, and Eros, white-faced, a few yards away, staring straight ahead, unresponsive, shaking his head, hands gripping his hair tightly enough to tear it from his scalp, his eyes unseeing, full of grief and guilt.

Soren was torn on who to tend to first, but Talos had approached Vina, and was speaking soothingly in their language, so Soren moved towards Eros, passing Carol who stood close by, apparently unsure of what to do. Tentatively, she reached for Eros, gritting her teeth against the turmoil of dark emotions she could sense roiling through him. In all the years she'd known him, she'd never felt him react like this to anything! "Eros?" She kept her tone as gentle as possible.

The second her hand brushed his shoulder, he recoiled so fast that she started, backing up, almost cowering, his eyes dark and haunted, no recognition in them. She was almost certain that he couldn't see her, or where he was, lost in some inner darkness. He began trembling violently, then without warning, bolted, shoving past anyone who didn't immediately move. Seconds later, a crash sounded and alarms blared. He'd blasted straight through the ship's walls, fleeing into space in an attempt to escape whatever demons now tore at him. Before anyone else could react, Carol took off, her glowing form visible for only a few seconds outside as she pursued him.

Shaken, but knowing she had to hold it together, she quickly ensured the hole in the ship would be patched up (thanking the stars for automatic shielding) and then moved to help Talos console Vina. At a guess, she'd assume that Vina had used her budding empathic skills on Eros, but what could she possibly have stirred up to trigger _that_ response in Eros? "Vina, little one," she coaxed, easing the child's hands away from her ears, crouching so the girl met her eyes. "What happened?"

"E-Eros finished t-t-telling us a s-story," Vina spoke thickly, still holding back sobs. "He felt s-sad. The story he told us was a happy one, but he'd been feeling sad and lonely the whole time, and I didn't know why. I wanted him to f-feel better, so I tried to help, to see what was wrong and make the bad feelings go away, b-but it hurt so _much _inside his feelings, like he was drowning. He dragged me down with him and I couldn't get out until you c-came in. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" She burst into floods of tears again. "Why is he so sad and hurt?"

Soren pulled the hysterical girl close, soothing her, hoping her own emotions would soothe the raw force that Vina had picked up on and unleashed in Eros. She spared one last glance to the star-dotted void where Eros and Carol had vanished, praying that Carol would be able to get through to him before he or someone else got hurt, and then forced herself to concentrate on things she _could_ fix. Carol would bring Eros back- she had to. Soren shivered. Pain like that... she had known Eros for most of her life, but never suspected he held that much agony within. Just what had he been hiding, and why?


	10. Chapter 10

Carol swore colorfully in her mind as she raced after Eros, who, for all the attention he was paying, might as well have been flying blind. He was colliding with asteroids, meteors, forcing any ships in his path to maneuver out of his way, barely in time- at one memorable point, he dove _through_ a blue dwarf star, emerging the other side seeming no worse for wear, only putting on more speed, as if he could flee from whatever demons tore at him. She almost flew through the star herself- she absorbed energy, so in theory she should be able to do that, right?- but changed her mind and swerved at the last second, worried about losing sight of Eros if she took her gaze from him for too long. He was moving so fast, it was a miracle he hadn't done any damage to the systems they had rocketed past. They flew further and further from Talos' ship, planets and soon entire solar systems rushing past, little more than blurs to Carol's eyes. Slowly, she began to realize that Eros _was_ navigating, flying more slowly, using certain stars as guides and changing direction, though where he was heading, she had no idea- nothing nearby was familiar.

Eventually, he came to a halt, landing on a large moon, panting heavily. Carol, not really feeling tired, despite hours of flight, typed a quick message to Talos, telling him they were safe and would be back... as soon as they could. She then landed a few feet behind him, suddenly uneasy. Did he even know she was there? If not, considering the mood he had been in, startling him wasn't a smart move. “Eros?” She spoke quietly. If he wanted to ignore her, he could.

He was gazing up at a planet not far from the moon. The world's atmosphere was orange and hazy, and she had no idea who or what, if anything, lived on it. Puzzled about why Eros had stopped here, she looked around at the moon for clues. There were some old buildings that looked high-tech even by Kree standards, but they were locked up and crumbling, decaying, as if they had been abandoned for decades. Another look up at the world that this moon orbited didn't help either- the orange atmosphere was too thick, no indication of what lay beneath. And yet Eros was too fixated on the world for him to have stopped here by mere chance. She took a step closer. “Eros?”

“It's the first time I've ever been back here.” His voice was hoarse, weak, so utterly different from his usual jovial tone, that Carol wasn't sure how to reply. “I thought it would help, if I saw it again, but...” A shudder ran through him. “I'm afraid.”

Mind racing, she pieced together what he might mean as fast as she could. “This was your home?”

A nod, followed by a sound that could have been a sob. “I wasn't here, when... it all went wrong. I should have been. Maybe then some could have been saved...”

Carol turned to face him just in time to see a single tear fall, and her heart clenched. She hated seeing anyone suffering, but without really knowing what Eros was talking about, she couldn't help. “Do you.... are you talking about your people?”

Silence, but she could feel his eyes on her, so assumed she was right. “Look, whatever happened... it can't have been your fault.”

He laughed humorlessly, the bitterest sound she had ever heard from him. “How could you know? You weren't there, you weren't even thought of back then!”

“Maybe not, but I know how it feels to blame yourself for something you had no control over.” Carol swallowed hard. “I... back on Terra, I lost someone who meant a lot to me, before this,” she ignited her hands to show what she was referring to. “After that I spent six years not knowing who I was, leaving my best friend and her daughter behind, believing I was dead. When I found my way back... I'd have given anything to spare that pain to the people I love, but when I said as much, I got slapped upside the head for being stupid.” Her lips twitched at that memory- she had tried to apologize to Maria for disappearing for so long, and besides the smack to the back of Carol's head, Maria's only reply had been: 'Oh, sorry, didn't realize you asked that Kree creep to kidnap and brainwash you!'

Eros turned to face her fully, finally tearing his gaze from his old home. “I've been curious, how did that work anyway? I know you absorbed some kind of light-speed energy before the Kree kidnapped you, Talos told me that much, but no Terran could have survived that kind of transference for long. So how did you survive?”

A bitter taste welled in Carol's mouth. She didn't want to explain this part, but maybe if she told some more of her story, Eros would open up a bit about whatever was still darkening his eyes? “I don't know much about the science side of it, but basically I was given a Kree blood transfusion as soon as they got me to Hala and that changed me enough that I was able to survive and harness my powers.”

Eros stared at her as if she had grown an extra head. “They replaced... _all of your Terran blood_ with Kree plasma? Do you understand how violating... how _sick_ that is? For you to have survived, they must have re-written the blood production cycle in your bone marrow and genetically altered every single cell of your body so you didn't reject the foreign blood...” His face twisted, contorted with anger. “Animals.” The word was nearly spat from his lips.

She shrugged uneasily. “Like I said, I don't know all the details. And someday, once Talos and the other Skrulls are safe, I'll go back and settle things on Hala. For good.” Shaking her head, she pushed the thoughts away. This wasn't the time or place to deal with it. “But going on about me isn't going to help you get through whatever's bothering you. I talked. Kind of. So now it's your turn.”

Eros sighed, the anger he had displayed on her behalf slipping back into melancholy as he returned his gaze to the orange-hued planet above. From there, he looked to one of the dilapidated buildings on the moon they stood upon. “I didn't expect to find these still standing.”

“These?” Following his gaze, Carol noticed that this building, and the one opposite it, had exactly the same size and shape, but as both were closed up and dark, she couldn't work out what they had been used for.

Eros nodded to the nearer building. “I built this one, as a getaway for me and my friends. It was... kind of a club, I guess. Music, drinks, partying...”

“And this other one?” Carol was impressed to imagine Eros actually building something that looked as advanced as this from scratch, but wasn't about to show it.

“My brother's work. He built a giant indoor biosphere, full of every plant he could locate, and even some he genetically created himself. He always loved gardening and agriculture...” There was a wistful, sad look in Eros' eyes, mixed with something bleak she couldn't identify.

Carol couldn't help but smile. “You two sound very different.” She could have kicked herself when Eros' face fell. _He already pretty much admitted all his people were gone, genius! _“Or, were, I guess... Do you miss your brother? I mean, if you were close...”

“We were.” Eros' words were barely audible. “I had scores of other friends, but he... didn't. He was more introverted. Looking back, I could have paid more attention, but...”

“Kids, or young people, don't always do what they should. Hindsight is a killer.” Her words sounded hollow, trite, but Carol couldn't think of anything else to say. “Do you miss him? Your brother.”

“Sometimes. Even though.... many people would say I shouldn't.”

Carol blinked. “Why? If he's gone, there's no reason you shouldn't mourn.”

Eros' tone turned wry. “Do you let yourself grieve for the friendship you had with your Kree commander?”

“No!” The denial came out automatically, she'd gotten so used to saying it. “What's that got to do with... oh.” Tentatively, she put a hand on Eros' shoulder, wanting to offer comfort as she caught on. “Your brother... let you down too?”

“You might say that. He... wasn't who I thought he was. I should have seen it, noticed something, but now... a weak part of me still wants to reclaim the person I knew, the person I thought he was.”

“I guess we're both weak then. Because that feeling... I have it too. Grieving for someone who might never have existed, no matter how much we want them to be real.” Except, Carol mused, as Eros stepped closer, slipping his arm round her shoulders, and she, too tired to care any more, stepped closer into his warmth, sharing it, at least Yon was still alive (probably) and someday, she would get a chance to have it out with him. Whatever Eros' brother had or hadn't done, he'd died with the rest of the people on this planet, leaving Eros alone, never to get answers. She couldn't imagine being that isolated, that alone. It was horrifying.

“My brother is gone.” Eros didn't seem to be addressing her. His voice was elsewhere, far away. “Sometimes I wonder if I am a coward, too afraid to face the monster that took him from me, that destroyed him.”

Carol laced her fingers through his, squeezing his hand. “If this monster is the one that caused the end of your people.. it's not cowardice to avoid him. It's wisdom. It's kept you alive. And, maybe, eventually, we'll find a way to deal with all our monsters. The Supreme Intelligence, Yo- the commander of Starforce, and whatever _thing_ took your people and your family from you.”

“Someday.” Eros replied softly. Hands entwined, they gazed up at the orange-shrouded graveyard of Eros' home, lost in the turmoil of their own pasts, but wordlessly drawing comfort from the other's presence.


	11. Chapter 11

Carol hovered where she was, suspended in space, out of habit reaching for the comm that was clipped to her ear, allowing her to communicate with Eros while they were in the vacuum of space. How it worked, she had no idea- apparently, Eros had made these commlinks just for them, based on tech his people had once used. Her expression was skeptical: his, slightly amused and cheerful. She narrowed her eyes at him as the light of the red giant star that was less than a klick away cast its light and heat over them both.

“And you're _sure_ this will work, and not kill or seriously hurt either of us?”

“I'm positive.” Eros' tone was reassuring, and Carol found herself relaxing, even as she decided that later, she'd punch him for using his powers on her- if he was. “My people could draw energy from all manner of celestial bodies, with practice. A star is just the easiest one to begin with. And I know from what you, and Talos and Soren have said, that you can absorb and redirect energy just as I can. You've probably done so before without even realizing. Or did you think your ability to fly in space for days on end was being drawn from your power alone?”

“I...” She hadn't thought about it in any sort of depth, if she was honest- the physics of how and why her powers worked were beyond her pay grade- but Eros' words did make some sort of sense. Even a 'cosmic energy sponge' as Talos had once teasingly referred to her, needed to recharge at times. “OK, but I'm not one of your people. My power didn't come from the same source. What if something goes wrong?” She could absorb light and heat, she knew that much, but a star would throw off radiation as well.

“It won't. That's why I'm here, to keep an eye on things as well as teach you.” His eyes gleamed wickedly. “You're the one who wanted to learn more about your powers and their limits."

That was true, she had asked if there was anything he could teach her, since their abilities, or some of them, were similar, but she hadn't thought he would begin by suggesting she draw energy from something larger than Terra's- Earth's- Sun!

"Of course, if you're afraid, we can just return to Talos' ship...” He arched an eyebrow, a clear challenge, his lips curled in a smirk, as if he knew full well she would never admit to any such thing.

Knowing she was doing exactly what he expected, Carol still couldn't keep her fists from clenching. _Afraid?!_ Her face set, and, struck with an urge to prove Eros wrong, she suddenly shot forward, close enough to the star now that, had she been human, she would likely already be dead or dying.

The still-human part of her was screaming 'DANGER' and mental warning sirens were going off in her head, but to her amazement, she wasn't feeling any pain or discomfort. As she had moved closer to the star, the bright-white glow of her powers had intensified, as if... As if Eros had been right, and, subconsciously, she was already drawing power from the star as if it were fuel. Her jaw dropped, and she was still staring at the brighter-than-usual glow she was emitting as Eros caught up with her.

He blinked at her. “Impressive. You're a fast learner.”

“Thanks. So.... what now?” She remembered, a few weeks ago, when Eros had had a minor breakdown and fled to his old homeworld, he had flown _through_ a star while en route. Albeit, it had been a much smaller star than this, just a blue dwarf, but still... “I've seen you travel through a star. Do you think that's something I could do?”

He looked thoughtful. “Perhaps, but best not to run before you can walk.”

Carol couldn't help it- she snorted. “You sound so weird when you use Terran phrases.”

“Thanks, I think.” He winked at her, before returning his gaze to the red giant before them. “For now, I'd like to find out just how much energy you can absorb and hold before it has to be released.”

“OK...”

“Close your eyes.” Eros' typically cheerful tone became more serious. “Forget that there's a star so close to you. _Feel_ the energy it gives off and concentrate on that. Not the star, not the heat or radiation, just the energy. Draw it into yourself, slowly, as much as you can.”

Feeling skeptical, but reminding herself that Eros (and presumably, his people) had abilities that weren't that different to her own, so he had to know what he was talking about, she let her eyes close and did what he said, 'listening' to the constant pulse of the star, and reaching out, drawing that pulse into herself, gasping as she felt energy build and spread through her veins, growing and growing, a white-hot sensation that made her feel powerful, a part of the stars themselves, limitless, invincible...

“Carol. That's enough. Carol!” Something grabbed her as she fuelled herself, taking more and more energy to maintain the glorious feeling coursing through her, until without warning, a good portion of it was _pulled_ from her and she almost screamed at the loss, the sharp harsh reminder of her limited physical body. She lashed out, sending a burst of star-wrought energy at the nuisance, intending to burn it to a cinder.

Eros' stifled cry of pain made Carol start, and she shook her head, feeling dazed, as if she'd just been jolted out of a deep sleep, blinking rapidly as her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness of the void between the stars. “W-what happened?” She'd been trying to work out how much power she could absorb from the red giant, she remembered that, but then...

She froze in utter shock. Where, mere minutes ago, the red giant had been, the space was now filled with an enormous cloud of pinkish-red and blue dust, debris and particles, surrounding a far smaller burning white core. Her mouth fell open. She'd seen stars in their death throes before, but...

Slowly, she turned to look at Eros, who, strangely, was glowing a similar iridescent color to her. “Did I do... that?” She gestured towards the newly formed white dwarf and its surrounding nebula.

He nodded slowly, a frown creasing his brow. “I guess it's good that I chose an isolated star for this. I thought there might be some fallout, but I never thought...”

Carol shivered, both at the implications of what she'd done- killed a red giant, shortening its existence by thousands of years, and absorbed all the energy from its death and the resulting explosion. She couldn't imagine how that was possible, but it was the only answer- otherwise, she and Eros would both be dead. Besides, she could still feel all that power, now leashed, but roiling deep inside of her. And-

She gasped, turning to Eros, her eyes wide. “Are you hurt? I remember- you took some of the power from me. I could've killed you.” _I wanted to, at the time._ Carol buried that thought- it was insane. It had been all that power talking, not recognizing Eros, or anyone or anything. She would never hurt one of her friends.

Eros smiled, his usual disarming grin, and she almost relaxed- before she noticed that he was hiding his hands behind his back. She grabbed his arms, yanking his hands to where she could see them, and recoiled, wincing. “Oh god... I'm sorry!”

The skin of his palms and fingers was a mixture of charred black flesh and stinging oozing red welts. Eros, who she had seen with her own eyes flying through a star and come out unscathed, now had third degree burns because of her.

“Carol. I'm fine. Look.”

Cringing, she did as he said, staring as an almost golden glow encased his hands and the flesh regrew and repaired itself right before her eyes.

“What- how-”

“It's another gift of my species. We can focus the energy that sustains us and consciously heal ourselves if it's needed. Although it isn't usually this fast.” Already, his hands were all but back to normal. “The energy I siphoned from you must be giving me extra juice.” He looked sheepish, suddenly. “I'm sorry about that, by the way. It seemed like you couldn't hear me and it was the quickest way to get you to stop.”

Carol looked at the dead star before them again and shuddered. Where would she be now, how far would she have gone, lost in her power, if Eros hadn't found a way to stop her? “Thanks. I won't be trying that again in a hurry.” God, if that star had been part of an inhabited solar system, or if Talos and the others had been nearby, instead of safely 'parked' over a thousand klicks away... And still she could feel the rush, the thrill, of the new power within her, and wanted more...

What kind of monster had the Kree _made_ of her?

Eros must have sensed her horror at this new self-discovery, because he stepped closer, slipping an arm round her shoulders. Normally, she'd have punched him for invading her personal space like that, but right now, she was too busy being relieved that he wasn't cringing away from her in fear.

“Hey, it's OK. No-one lives in this region of space, that's why I picked it for a lesson for you. I'm fine, you're fine, and no harm's been done.”

“Yeah. And now we know just how much of a freak I am.” It came out more bitter than she'd intended, but it was the truth, wasn't it?

Eros' eyes blazed with a sudden intensity that sent a thrill through her, which was halted immediately when he shook her slightly. “Don't call yourself that. _Ever._” His tone was emphatic, almost harsh, as if he hated the word.

“Why not? I _killed_ a star and didn't even know I was doing it. I forgot who I was while I was feeding on that energy! I hurt you, and if you hadn't stopped me...” Would she have gone after another star, and another, knowing nothing more than the desire for more power? Would she _ever_ have stopped, or remembered who she was, if it hadn't been for Eros?

His only response was to tighten his embrace, and, tired of pretending she never wanted comfort, she let her head fall onto his shoulder. (It was his fault for being just exactly the right height for her to do this, she told herself firmly. That was the only reason.)

“It'll be OK.” He soothed. He didn't offer any more words, or false promises of _when_ it would be OK, just reassured her and held her. She was grateful for that, that he was just there, supporting her, not expecting anything, just letting her get her head around yet another world-changing shock.

The moment was almost peaceful- until the sky above them rippled and a ship dropped out of hyperspace not five klicks away.

Carol's heart dropped into her boots as she recognized the vessel as a Kree ship, one of the science vessels sent to investigate anomalies. “I so don't need this right now.” Her words were almost a growl. By now, any Kree with access to the Empire's news would know her by sight, and she _really_ wasn't in the mood to hear their accusations of 'Traitor' and deal with their useless attempts to apprehend her.

“Friends of yours?” Eros remarked ironically, even as he pulled the comm from his ear, did... something to it so it beeped, then barked a few words in Skrullish before replacing the device in his ear.

“I've told Talos to keep the ship cloaked and get out of the vicinity, that we'll catch up with them later.”

Relieved that the Skrulls she'd promised to protect weren't anywhere near this Kree vessel, Carol still frowned. “That's great, but we still have to explain how we're alive, out here, without suits, within spitting distance of a star that died less than an hour ago!” And if, or more likely when, the Kree here recognized her, and put two and two together that she'd done this.. she didn't want to think about what orders the Intelligence would give concerning her then.

“They'll have to catch us first.” Eros' face was set. His arm slid from her shoulders to her waist, his other hand taking hers. Despite the tension in his shoulders, his eyes were gleaming. “Hope you don't mind going fast!” Without warning, he tore off into space, away from the nebula and the Kree ship, fast enough to turn the surrounding stars into blurs, his grip on Carol keeping her pressed close to his side. In less than a minute, they'd left that sector behind, but Eros maintained his speed, presumably so that it would be impossible for the Kree to track any energy trail they left in their wake, especially as Eros veered and turned sharply, randomly and without warning, heading for who-knew-where.

Carol considered breaking away from him and insisting he tell her _where_ he was taking them, but the power she'd 'eaten' from the star was still roaring within her, wanting to break free. If she loosed it, who knew what might happen? No, for now, she'd let Eros take charge, trusting him to get them to safety, out of the Kree's reach, because she wasn't foolish enough to think that their trail wouldn't be followed for a while. Once they'd done that, and she felt more sure that she wasn't about to hurt anyone, then they could locate Talos and the others and go home.

And besides, although she wouldn't admit as much to Eros, his hand holding hers, his arm holding her securely pressed against his body, his warmth seeping to her through the bodysuit he wore... it was an enjoyable experience, to say the least. (That she shifted a little closer to him was only to make it easier for them to hold onto one another, and share bodily warmth to combat the icy cold of space. Really.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in the comics, Carol has an 'evolved' version of her powers that turns her into a being called Binary, a being composed of pure cosmic energy. When this first happened, it cost her her memory, her identity and her emotions. I tried to create an 'MCU' version of that in this chapter. Hopefully it worked.
> 
> https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1396/11/12/1396111218010733913196144.png  
This is the red star that Carol and Eros are visiting during this chapter.
> 
> https://astronomy.com/news/2019/01/snapshot-the-final-breath-of-a-dying-star  
This is what Carol unwittingly did to it.


End file.
